Mobile and Hospital Dental Services

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OHP Success Story – Summer 2016

Martin, age 61, is an Oregon native raised in Portland. He was born with Down syndrome and has struggled over this past year with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. Even though he has had these challenges, Martin is still enthusiastic about life and loves meeting new people. His sister, Nancy, describes him as, “A character with a witty personality and a funny sense of humor; he is very social and never treats anyone like a stranger.” Martin enjoys going out into the community, going to the market and taking short walks. He also loves to eat; his favorite dish is a hamburger served alongside French fries. The walls of his room are lined from top to bottom with posters featuring Batman, Superman, and many other super heroes. He also likes listening to golden oldies, like Old Time Rock and Roll. He loves the local wildlife and is often greeted by a raccoon that comes to his back door every morning.

Martin’s first experience with Exceptional Needs Dental Services (ENDS) was with Dr. Brian Koch, who went out and examined Martin because he was having severe tooth pain. The mobile dentist was very kind and took his time with Martin, he never pushed Martin to do anything that he was not comfortable doing.

Despite Dr. Koch’s best efforts, due to Martin’s acute situational anxiety he was later referred to the hospital for treatment under general anesthesia. Since his dental procedure, Martin has shown a great improvement in his mood and overall health. Before being introduced to the ENDS program, Martin was going into a traditional dental office setting where he had issues staying still and letting a dentist look in his mouth. After being treated in the hospital by Dr. John Aspros, Martin has become a lot more like himself and so much happier.

Nancy says, “His mood has changed tremendously and he’s back to his witty self.” She is very appreciative of the ENDS program and what it has done for her brother. Nancy said that without ENDS she would have been at a loss with Martin. The help that he has received has been a huge blessing in his life. They will be forever grateful for Dr. Aspros, the ENDS program, and the benefits made possible through Oregon Health Plan.